busywork
noun
busy·work
| \ ˈbi-zē-ˌwərk
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Definition of busywork
: work that usually appears productive or of intrinsic value but actually only keeps one occupied
Examples of busywork in a Sentence
Students were given busywork for the last few minutes of class.
Recent Examples on the Web
All three try to indoctrinate newcomer Tim (Kyle Beltran) into their cheerful, mundane habits, as if busywork were the sum of the burden of recovery. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "On Adjacent Stages, Two Haunted Houses, Circa 1882 and 2019," 12 Aug. 2019 Like homework, reading challenges can feel like pointless busywork for those who aren’t feeling intrinsically motivated to read. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Reading Amelia Bedelia as a parable on domestic labor," 15 June 2019 Windmills aside, there are too few special twists to State of Decay 2’s world and upgrades to justify what quickly becomes survival busywork. — Steven Strom, Ars Technica, "State of Decay 2 review: Shambling toward nothing," 22 May 2018 By mixing some of the best features of comics, video games, and animation, Florence tells a sweet and memorable tale that isn't belabored with a lot of fluff or busywork. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Florence’s breezy, slice-of-life romance is a refreshing take on gaming," 15 Feb. 2018 As with all Marvel screen ventures, the story has a lot of moving parts, but in general the results don’t register as the same-old superhero busywork, the kind that makes for forgettable stories and strenuously overinflated running times. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, "Review: ‘Black Panther’ Shakes Up the Marvel Universe," 6 Feb. 2018 After some narrative busywork, John disappears and Setsuko — weighted down with a large suitcase and her comically, aggressively angry sister (Kaho Minami) — follows him to Southern California. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, "Review: A Tragic Wig and the Search for Happiness in ‘Oh Lucy!’," 28 Feb. 2018 The bad Some interactive elements feel like mere busywork. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Florence’s breezy, slice-of-life romance is a refreshing take on gaming," 15 Feb. 2018 Soon, Astrobee will take some of the busywork of space life off their hands. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Meet Astrobee, the Adorable Robot Cube Bound for the ISS," 27 Mar. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'busywork.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for busywork
busywork
noun
English Language Learners Definition of busywork
US
: work that is given to you only to keep you busy
See the full definition for busywork in the English Language Learners Dictionary